Must-Reads for July 13

Townhall: Salad days of the public sector are over

Since the New Deal, Keynesianism has been our answer to recession. As the private sector shrinks, the public sector expands to fill the void until the private sector returns to health. Only Keynesianism is not working

American Enterprise Institute: 6 charts that show the Welfare State run amok

These charts show an out-of-control welfare state that is about to get even bigger, increasing both budget costs and dependency.

National Review: Obama's dupes

The president promised young voters the moon, and all they got was their old childhood bedroom back in their parents’ house.

Townhall: The invincible lie, part II

As far back as the 1920s, a huge cut in the highest income tax rate -- from 73 percent to 24 percent -- led to a huge increase in the amount of tax revenue collected by the federal government. Why? Because investors took their money out of tax shelters, where they were earning very modest rates of return, and put their money into the productive economy, where they could earn higher rates of return, now that those returns were not so heavily taxed.

Must-Reads for July 12

National Review: The 'tax cuts for the wealthiest' lie

Raising tax rates does not automatically raise tax revenues for the government. But none of this matters to Barack Obama. If class-warfare rhetoric about taxes leads to more votes for him, that is his bottom line.

Washington Times: Gov. Rick Perry - We need real reform, not more Medicaid

Expecting to extend quality health care access to millions of Americans by pressing them into the existing Medicaid system is a little like expecting to win the Indy 500 in a 1965 Chevy Corvair. It’s just not the right tool for the job.

State Journal-Register: Just bill taxpayers... as usual

Inaction is business as usual in Illinois, and we the taxpayers will once again get the bill.

Must-Reads for July 11

National Review: Obama - Tax 'the rich'

Many Americans earning less than $200,000 are likely to suffer collateral damage from this tax increase. For example, the president’s proposed tax hike on capital gains is likely to reduce the value of 401(k) funds that millions of middle-income Americans rely on for retirement. And the business taxes will drive up the prices of goods and services, not to mention costing jobs.

NPR: The value of taxing the wealthy - $56 billion

It's only about a quarter of what we spent on unemployment benefits last year, and about 1 percent of all the money the government spent in 2011.

Townhall: Budget insanity

If the IRS grabbed 100 percent of income over $1 million, the take would be just $616 billion. That's only a third of this year's deficit.

Boston Globe: Minimum wage laws are costly for the unemployed

When legislators raise the price of low- and unskilled labor, it’s usually low- and unskilled laborers who end up paying the price. As 50,000 Americans found out in 1938, jacking up the minimum wage turns the least employable into the unemployable.

Must-Reads for July 10

Hot Air: Unions contribute four times what FEC disclosures show

Lost in all the screeching over the Citizens United ruling two years ago was the fact that unions have largely been exempt from campaign-finance restrictions on speech.

National Review: Obamatax's 'HIT' on small businesses and families

As we continue to review last week’s sweeping decision and its consequences for the American people, it is worth taking stock of Obamacare, perhaps now better named “Obamatax,” starting with a less-well-known $87 billion tax buried in the law that could force families to pay an extra $500 a year in premiums.

The Daily Caller: 83 percent of doctors have considered quitting over Obamacare

The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65.

Must-Reads for July 9

The Wall Street Journal: America already is Europe

I'm often asked if I think America is trending toward becoming a European-style social democracy. My answer is: "No, because we already are a European-style social democracy."

Townhall: California willingly speeding toward bankruptcy

Governor Jerry Brown is asking for a tax hike to close a $16 billion budget gap and yet, liberal legislators just approved the most expensive project in its history. Keep working America! California is depending on you!

The Wall Street Journal: Democrats and the tax cliff

The dilemma for the White House is that calling off next year's tax increase would undercut Mr. Obama's re-election theme of redistributing income. His liberal base has become so obsessed with the politics of envy that it is demanding higher taxes no matter the economic or political costs.

Forbes: Obamacare's 7 tax hikes on under $250,000-a-year earners

Obama’s pledge against any form of tax increase on Americans making less than $250,000 a year was thrown out the window when he signed the healthcare law.

The Hill: Majority believe Obama has changed country for worse

A new poll for The Hill found 56 percent of likely voters believe Obama’s first term has transformed the nation in a negative way, compared to 35 percent who believe the country has changed for the better under his leadership.